Slingshot with grooved end support arm for elastic propelling means



Feb. 10, 1970 N. A. YOUNT ET AL 3,494,346

SLINGSHOT WITH GROOVED END SUPPORT ARM FOR ELASTIC PROPELLING MEANS I i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1967 Na/en A. Your)! Nolan 6. Younf Edna C. Yaunf INVENIOR Feb. 10, 1970 N. A. YOUNT ETAL 3,494,346

\ SLINGSHOT WITH GROOVED END SUPPORT ARM FOR ELASTIC PROPELLING MEANS Filed Sept. 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iva/en A. Your)! Nolan 6. Younf Edna 6. Yaw! l N Vli N T0 RS United States Patent Ofiiice 3,494,346 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 3,494,346 SLINGSHOT WITH GROOVED END SUPPORT ARM FOR ELASTIC PROPELLING MEANS Nolen A. Yount, Nolen C. Yount, and Edna C. Yount, all of 412 E. Fannin, Beeville, Tex. 78102 Filed Sept. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 667,469 Int. Cl. F41b 7/00; F411? 7/00 US. Cl. 124-20 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The slingshot of the instant invention has as its main object to provide a slingshot whose elastic members are attached to the arm members of the body portion of the slingshot in a manner such that the elastic members will not abut against the rear face of the body of the slingshot and possibly the hand of the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a slingshot constructed in a manner whereby the elastic members thereof will be guided past the arm portions of the slingshot until after the projectile being projected by the slingshot has moved forwardly of the pocket of the slingshot defined between the rear ends of the elastic members.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a slingshot with an adjustable length flexible loop attached to the lower portion of the handle of the slingshot and adapted to be secured about the wrist of a person using the slingshot.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a slingshot which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and accurate in use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and dependable.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first form of slingshot;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a second form of slingshot;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a third form of slingshot;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through the center of the slingshot illustrated in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a fourth form of slingshot; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 88 of FIGURE 7.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the first form of slingshot. The slingshot 10 includes an upstanding body portion generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 and having a lower handle portion 14. The upper end of the handle portion 14 terminates in a pair of opposite side and laterally spaced arms 16. The arms 16 each include upper faces 18 having grooves 20 formed therein and the forward faces of the arms 16 include forward projections 24 provided with upstanding bores 26 extending therethrough, the bores 26 being slightly upwardly tapered.

A pair of elongated elastic members 28 in the form of surgical tubing or any other suitable substance are provided and corresponding ends of the elastic members 28 are secured downwardly through the bores 26 by a ball member 30 wedged into each of the elastic members 28 and secured therein by means of tying 32. The ball members 30 cause the corresponding ends of the elasticmembers 28 to wedge in the bores 26 and thereby prevent upward withdrawal of the elastic members 28 from the bores 26.

The ends of the elastic members 28 remote from the bores 26 are secured to opposite ends of an elongated flexible strip 34 defining a projectile receiving pouch. It is of course to be understood that the pouch 34 may be constructed of any suitable material such as soft leather and it may be seen from FIGURE 1 of the drawings that the slingshot 10 has a transverse bore 36 formed in the lower end of its handle portion 14 and that an adjustable length flexible loop 38 is passed through the bore 36, the loop 38 being adapted for securement about the wrist of a person gripping the handle portion 14.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 3 and 4 of the drawings there will be seen a modified form of slingshot generally referred to by the reference numeral 10' and whose parts corresponding to certain parts of the slingshot 10 are designated by similar prime numerals.

The arms 16 of the slingshot 10' include upper faces 18 which are groved as at 20 and the arms 16' include forwardly and upwardly inclined bores 26' in which the adjacent ends of the elastic members 28 are secured.

With attention now invited more specificaly to FIG- URES 5 and 6 of the drawings there may be seen a slingshot 10" and whose components corresponding to the similar components of the slingshot 10 are designated by corresponding double prime numerals.

The arms 16" have upstanding bores 26 formed therein but which are joined at their lower ends by means of a curved transverse passage 27 and the elastic members 28" comprise opposite end reaches of a single elastic member 29 whose opposite ends are secured to the pouch 34 and whose mid-portion defines an integral portion of and joins the adjacent ends of the reaches 28". The integral mid-portion of the elastic member 29 passes through the transverse passage 27. Of course, the upper ends of the arms 16" include upper faces 18 which are notched as at 20" and over which the exposed end portions of the elastic members 29 remote from the pouch 34" extend.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 7 and 8 of the drawings there will be seen a slingshot generally designated by the reference numeral 10" and which is substantially identical to the slingshot 10" except that the slingshot 10" is formed of two half sections 11 and 13 secured together to form the body portion 12" of the slingshot 10". The bores 26" open upwardly through the arms 16 substantially through the center of the upper ends of the arms 16' while the upper ends of the bores 26" open upwardly through the forward portions of the arms 16". Further, the bores 26' also open upwardly through the forward portions of the arms 16'.

By constructing the slingshots in a manner whereby the elastic members thereof extend over upper portions of the arms and then downwardly for securement to the body of the slingshot, the elastic members do not strike any portions of the bodies of the slingshots when the pouches are released and there is less tendency of the elastic members or pouches of the slingshots to snap against the hands of the users of the slingshots. Further, by preventing the elastic members and pouches from hitting the body portions of the slingshots, there is less tendency for the projectile being projected by one of the slingshots to be deflected off course. Of course, any of the slingshots may be provided with the adjustable length flexible loop if desired and the body portions of the slingshots may be constructed of any suitable material, molded plastic or similar material being preferably utilized to form the body portions of the slingshots and 10".

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A slingshot defining an upstanding body including front and rear faces, said body including a lower upstanding handle portion and a pair of upwardly projecting opposite side arm carried by an upper portion of said handle portion and including spaced apart upper ends, the upper faces of said upper ends defining upwardly opening generally parallel front to rear extending grooves formed therein, the rear ends of said grooves opening rearwardly through the upper portions of the rear faces of said arms, elongated elastic means disposed in a pair of reaches including front and rear pairs of corresponding end portions, said rear ends being disposed rearwardly of said body, means suitably joining said rear ends and forming a loop for receiving and supporting a projectile,

the front ends of said reaches being disposed in said grooves and guided thereby against lateral movement relative to said arms, said arms including portions thereof having upstanding passages formed therein and whose upper ends are open, said passages being integral with said arms and extending through substantial portions thereof, the front end portions of said reaches extending through said grooves and curving downwardly into said passages and being anchored in the lower end portions of the passages.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said handle portion includes adjustable length flexible loop means adapted to be secured about the wrist of a person grasping said handle portion with his hand at least substantially encircling said handle portion.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said arm portions comprise forwardly facing projections through which said upstanding passages are formed. I

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower ends of said passages open outwardly through lower portions of said arms.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body is formed of one piece of material.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said passages open upwardly through the upper faces of said arms spaced distances from the rear faces thereof.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said passages are upwardly tapered, said elastic means reaches being tubular and having said one pair of ends thereof extending downwardly into said passages, and abutment members wedged into said one pair of ends of said tubular reaches wedgingly anchoring said one pair of ends in said passages.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,585,663 2/1952 Laubly 12420 3,101,704 8/1963 McCormick 12420 3,204,626 9/1965 Morneau 124-23 3,057,337 10/1962 Rock et al 1242O 2,853,992 9/1958 Wheeler 124-22 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,201,722 3/ 1964 Germany.

653,458 5/1951 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner WILLIAM R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner 

